This was sent to me and I thought I'd pass it along. I have written numerous articles about the dangers of sugar/fructose, so I thought this might be beneficial to read!
Beware: Fructose Linked to the Spread of Cancer
As you'll know, we've been bringing you regular updates on the numerous health risks associated with fructose. Now, a Dr. Anthony Heaney of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) must be aware that the US government has generously contributed to the HFCS boom by imposing high tariffs to discourage sugar imports, while subsidizing farms that produce the raw material for HFCS: corn.
In any case, Dr. Heaney just wants to help cancer patients live longer.
Can't argue with that.
Cancer 101
When Dr. Heaney and his UCLA team recently exposed pancreatic cancer cells to fructose, they found that fructose prompted a dramatic growth of the malignant cells.
In the journal Cancer Research, they wrote, "These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation." And even worse, they believe that fructose may have this effect on other types of cancer cells — not just pancreatic cancer.
Of course, the Corn Refiners Association immediately responded with a press release, calling the conclusions of the UCLA study "premature."
Fair enough. After all, it was a lab study, and what happens in a Petri dish can be very different from what happens in the body.
Still, I'd be willing to bet a pay cheque that further research will very likely show that fructose does play some sort of role in cancer cell proliferation. For two reasons:
1) HFCS intake has already been linked with increased pancreatic cancer risk, and
2) It's all about sugar, which is 50 per cent fructose and 50 per cent glucose. Sugar has been directly linked to cancer.
Potent fuel for cancer growth
About 80 years ago, Dr. German Otto Warburg, showed that glucose is a potent fuel for cancer cell growth. And this wasn't some harebrained theory. It was proof. And it won Dr. Warburg a Nobel Prize.
For decades, the medical community has been aware of the danger for cancer patients who eat foods with added sugars and refined simple carbohydrates. So for every cancer patient, this advice should be considered Cancer 101: Wean yourself from these foods, and then restrict consumption as much as possible.
As for high fructose corn syrup, if you have cancer, you can't go wrong to avoid it completely. And if you don't have cancer...well, you can't go wrong to avoid it completely!
Sources:
"Fructose Induces Transketolase Flux to Promote Pancreatic Cancer Growth" Cancer Research, Vol. 70, No. 15, 8/1/10, cancerres.aacrjournals.org
"Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds" Reuters, 8/2/10, reuters.com
On a somewhat related topic, AMAZON has some of their SUGAR FREE syrups and products on sale!
Check it out and hit up MY STORE. Categories are on the right hand side!
Very interesting post - and something I've just stumbled across myself. The German biologist Dr. Johannes Coy identified which enzymatic reactions are responsible for sugar being so harmful with regard to cancer, and has written a book (that I bought last month) about how a diet low in simple carbohydrated and sugar especially can help cancer patients to become healthier. Certain types of cancer cells seem to rely completely on sugar, so cutting out (or at least down) sugar helps to literally starve the tumors.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link, if you are interested in reading more:
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.advancedsilversolution.com/2008/05/12/new-german-tktl1-anti-cancer-diet-targets-the-most-resistant-cancer-cells/